Monday, 28 May 2007

It is interesting to see how some companies like to claim that their absinthe is Swiss or that it is based on an old Swiss recipe. Here are two examples:

According to their website "Logan Fils - La Blanche is made according to the old traditional recipe that was acquired in Switzerland from the region of Val-de-Travers where Absinthe was invented. Swiss La Bleue is distilled from carefully selected herbs and made from eau-de-vie, distilled from selected wine. It comes crystal clear in the bottle and turns milky when ice cubes are added. Our Swiss La Bleue is carefully balanced as to its taste and is just slightly bitter."

I have been told that it is not Swiss. Is it?

And here is another:

With this copy from one of the many sites that sells it:-

"Originally based on a Swiss recipe this Czech Absinthe has no artificial color or preservatives, and contains 100mg of the psychoactive thujone adored by some of the world’s most notorious artists and writers. Van Gogh, Picasso, Hemingway…Bob Dylan, Marilyn Manson and Eminem are just a few who used and drew inspiration from this original Absinthe and its effects."

I'd be interested to see this Swiss recipe but also wonder why, with the distilling heritage they have in the Czech Republic, they needed to get the recipe from Switzerland. And I'd be interested to know how Van Gogh could have drunk this particular absinth as claimed.

Finally some related updates .. A sighting in Moscow and an interesting use of a domain name to re-direct web traffic intended for one of the first absinthes to legally enter the USA.

Seen in Moscow, 2007:

Does the eye look similar? Especially with the words "La Fée" underneath? As far as I know, this product has nothing to do with the more famous La Fée absinthe range.

I found a different type of brand/trade mark "borrowing," in fact an incorrect domain name registration and re-direction, recently: type in "www.lucidabsinthe.com" and see where it takes you .... Anything to do with Lucid absinthe? No.